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This article belongs to the story Parliament introduces yet another new character – Dr. Funkenstein! that will be published on Monday July 20, 2026 at 5:01 PM, CEST. |
In a 2010 interview with Bass Guitar magazine Bootsy Collins talked about the significance of “The One” within the funk.
The most important lesson I ever learnt was how to play “The One”, and I learnt that from James Brown.
When I came in to play with James I was still playing a lot of guitar, so I was playing a lot of guitar stuff on the bass. Then James Brown called me one night and he said, “Son, just slow down and give me ‘The One’. I love all these things you’re doing, you’re a great bass player, but if you give me that one you can do anything, and everything you want to do.” And that’s where it all started for me.
First of all I had to find out what “The One” was! In that day we had no idea. Everyone is getting educated on it now, but we didn’t have a clue, so we had to go and figure it out, work with it and experiment with it, and by the time I got with Parliament Funkadelic I knew what “The One” was and I took it with me.
It’s essential to any groove that you learn to play in the pocket. The pocket holds everything together, and once you’ve set up that groove you can do everything that you want to do; that’s what the funk is all about!
You go in that zone and it’s almost like a meditative state of mind, where there’s nothing there but groove and you’re caught up in it. “The One” is the foundation, and on top of this foundation you can go anywhere.
Bootsy Collins interview, Bass Guitar magazine, 2010<
But images and sound speak louder than words, so learn from funkmaster Bootsy Collins!
